Architects Declare Australia is calling on registered architects to sign a declaration acknowledging the twin crises of climate breakdown and biodiversity loss as the most serious issue of our time.
A group of Australian architects has declared a climate and biodiversity emergency, following the lead of UK colleagues. Australia is the third country in the world to launch Architects Declare and the first to include reference to Indigenous peoples. The declaration has 30 founding signatories.
Architects Declare is now calling on other Australian architects to join the group and to work together on creating a new future.
All signatories of the declaration commit to raising awareness of the climate and biodiversity emergencies and the urgent need for action among clients and supply chains. They also advocate for faster change in the industry towards regenerative design practices and a higher government funding priority to support this.
To sign the declaration, practices or individuals must be registered with the Architects’ Board in the relevant state or territory, and must provide the email address for their CEO or other senior officer for verification before the practice name is added to the declaration.
Australian architects can sign up to the declaration here.
About Architects Declare
Architects Declare was first launched in the UK on 19 May 2019. It is organised by a group of UK architects and has no political or institutional affiliations. Architects Declare Australia is organised by a volunteer group of seven architects and built-environment professionals. In late May, the group contacted the UK organisers to seek permission to replicate Architects Declare in Australia. The UK organisers were immediately supportive and created the Australian version of the website to use. Australian Architects Declare launched on Thursday 25 July 2019, making Australia among the first countries to take up this initiative, with Norway Architects Declare also recently launched. The three engineering institutes in the UK have, or intend to have, similar declarations (i.e. structural, civil and building services). The UK organisers have now set up Construction Declares in response to the interest shown in replicating the declaration by other groups internationally.
